#feel so clean like a money machine oh yeah

[canirove]

The invinsible princess | Chapter 7

“Like the title of that Beyoncé song said…”

Author's note: This is one of my favourite chapters, so I hope you like it as much as I do. And to the anon who sent me the loveliest message ever the other day... I'm still thinking about it, thank you very much 😭💜

Chapter 6 | Chapter 8

Masterlist

“I can't fucking feel my ass” I say while getting out of the camper van Pedri and I have rented for our road trip. 

“Sofía!” he gasps. “Those aren't words for a lady like yourself!”

“Oh, I beg for your forgiveness, my lord. Please allow me to rephrase it… Blimey!” I gasp, covering my mouth like women did in old movies. “I can't feel my lower back after being sat for the past two hours!”

“Much better. Thank you, my lady” Pedri says, doing a little curtsey. 

“My lord” I reply, doing the same before we both start laughing. Whoever sees us behaving like this at a petrol station, must think we are crazy. “Anyway, can you do me a favour before you start with that?” I ask him, nodding towards the van.

“Of course. What does the lady need?”

“I need to use the bathroom, but I don't want to go alone.”

“What?” Pedri laughs. 

“Yeah, I just… What if I'm doing my business and someone comes in and catches me there? I don't want to go online and see that a photo of myself sitting on the toilet has gone viral.”

After my first and so far only viral photo, the one with Charles Leclerc a few years ago, I've become a bit less invisible than what I was used to. Most people still pay more attention to my sister Leonor, but Carlos has had to stop paparazzis from taking photos of me and my aunt leaving work together more than once. 

“Ok, fine” Pedri sighs. “It is a bit weird to not have Carlos around, isn't it? He usually is the one who does these things.”

“It is, yes. But it was what we wanted, so” I shrug.

“I'm sure he still is keeping an eye on us somehow” Pedri says as we walk towards the back of the petrol station, where the bathroom is. “I can see him glued to his phone, checking the van’s GPS to make sure we are following the route we shared with him” he laughs. “He may have even set some microphones and cameras inside to make sure we are alive.”

“For his own sake, I hope he hasn't.”

“Because of what he may have heard last night, for example?” he smirks. 

“If you mean your snoring, then yes. But I was talking about you singing while driving.”

“I beg your pardon?” 

“Let's just say that becoming a singer isn't a career path you should follow once you retire from football.”

“So rude, my lady. So rude… And we've made it.”

“Aren't you going inside?”

“What?” Pedri chuckles.

“Yeah… To make sure there is no one hiding or something.”

“Sofía, this petrol station isn't like the ones you see in American movies. Here they clean their bathrooms and there isn't a guy hiding behind a door ready to kidnap you and take you to his cabin in the woods.”

“Better safe than sorry” I shrug.

“Urgh, fine” he replies, rolling his eyes and walking into the bathroom. “It's empty, you can come in.”

“Did you check it properly?”

“Yes, I did. There is no one inside, and it is quite clean. Maybe not as much as those golden toilets you have at the palace where you can see your own reflection, but they are ok.”

“Idiot” I say, giving him a little push and making him laugh. “But thank you, Pedri.”

“Anything for you, my lady” he smiles.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“I think we'll have enough with these snacks until we… Sofía? What are you doing?”

“Have you ever used one of these?” I say, looking at the machines outside the petrol station’s shop.

“Yeah. Who hasn't?” Pedri chuckles. “Oh. Sorry. You…”

“As a kid we often saw them when we were on holidays, but my mum never allowed Leonor and I to buy anything from them. She said they were just a stupid way to waste your money on useless stuff.”

“I mean, she's not wrong. But we used to have one at the bar in Tenerife, and just seeing the kids’ faces when the ball comes out of the machine and they open it to see which surprise they've gotten makes it worth it.”

“I guess...”

“Here, take this.”

“Why are you giving me these coins?”

“They are the change I got from buying our snacks” he says, nodding towards the bag in his hand. “You can use them on the machines.”

“What?”

“You just told me that you've always wanted to give them a go, haven't you? Then do it, Sofía. You are an adult now, your mum won't scold you for doing it” he chuckles.

“I… I… Thank you, Pedri” I say before wrapping my arms around his neck and hugging him. 

“That's ok” he smiles. “C'mon, let's see what they have.”

The first machine is a Pokémon one, and each ball has a different figurine inside it. 

“What is that?” 

“Pedri, this is Charizard!”

“I'm only familiar with Pikachu” he shrugs.

“You… seriously?”

“Yeah.”

“And then I'm the weird one.”

“You aren't weird, Sofía” he says, kissing my cheek before I put another coin on the next machine. This one has just little teddy bears made of rubber. Very ugly teddy bears. “That smile they painted on him is kind of creepy, isn't it?” Pedri says when I open the ball I got.

“A bit, yes” I laugh, moving to the next machine. This one has little racing cars, and he is definitely way more excited about it than me. “This one is for you” I say, giving him one of the coins.

“For me?”

“For you” I smile. “I know you are dying to do it and see which car you will get.”

“I actually am, yes” he smiles back.

“But wait, let me get my phone and film you. I have the feeling this is going to be the cutest thing ever.”

“Everything I do is cute, my lady” he winks before crouching down in front of the machine, looking like a kid on Christmas morning when he opens the ball and sees the car inside it. “Now it is my turn to film you” he says once he has calmed down. 

“Me?”

“The last one has jewelry or something like that. And you like your jewels, my lady” he smirks.

“I do, yes” I reply, my hand instinctively moving to my necklace. To the banana charm, the S one, and the new addition: a P one he got me for my birthday last year.

“And? What is it?” Pedri asks me when I open the ball. 

“I think… oh.”

“That actually is quite nice, isn't it? Let me help you put it on.”

“What?” I chuckle.

“I have to practice for when it's time for the real one” he smirks, taking the ring from my hand and putting the phone on his pocket. Because the surprise on that last ball had been a ring, one that didn't look that bad for just 1€. “There you go. Perfect.”

“Though not as perfect as you” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck once again. “Thank you very much for this, Pedri.”

“For putting a ring on your finger?”

“For everything. From checking the bathroom to see if there was a murderer lurking in the shadows, to buying me my favourite chocolate bar without me asking for it, and for letting me experience this and go home with a very cool ring. The real one is gonna have to be a really cool ring to be better than this one” I say with a teasing smile.

“It isn't gonna be an easy task, no. But I'll do my best. Because for you, my lady… For you I would do anything.”

“Aww, Pedri…” I say, trying to not start crying in the middle of a petrol station. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Sofía” he says before kissing me.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“Ok, what happened.”

“Uh?”

“Pedri, you've been dating my sister for years and you know I love you like a brother” Leonor says. “But this is the first time we are having lunch together just the two of us without Sofía.”

“Then it was time we did it, don't you think?” he shrugs, focusing on his food.

“Pedri…” Leonor sighs. “What happened? Is everything ok between you two?”

“Yeah.”

“Then?”

“Then nothing.”

“Pedro!” Leonor says, raising her voice.

“God, you just sounded like your mum when she gets mad with your dad” he chuckles.

“Oh, this is not me being mad. Me being mad is something you don't want to see, so you better tell me what the hell is going on.”

“I…” he gulps. “I want to propose to Sofía.”

“No!” Leonor gasps, making Pedri thank everything for being alone in a private area of the restaurant. Because if they had been surrounded by people, all eyes would be in them after how loud that gasp had been. “You are going to do it?”

“Yeah” he says, nervously playing with his fork.

“How? When? Where?”

“I don't know yet. I actually decided it this morning.”

“What?”

“Yeah” Pedri says again. “I had just left my therapist's office, and it hit me: I was ready. I am ready to ask Sofía to marry me and to deal with everything that will come once it is made oficial.”

“Wow” Leonor says. “But do you think she is ready for it too? To stop being the invisible princess like she always says? Because this engagement is gonna be talked about worldwide. The princess and the football player! The fanfic that becomes a reality!” she chuckles.

“Has she shown you the ring she got during our road trip this summer?”

“The plastic one she loves so much?”

“The very same. When I gave it to her I told her it was practice for when I put the real one on her finger” Pedri says. “And since then, we've been talking a lot more about getting married, about how it will be, what will change, discussed it with our therapist… And I think she also is ready, that we both are on the same page.”

“Then it is happening. It's happening!” 

“Leonor, what are you…”

“What happened?” the queen says over the phone.

“Hello to you too, mum” Leonor replies, rolling her eyes.

“Hi, sorry. But what happened? Why are you calling me at lunch time?”

“Is dad with you?”

“Hello!” the king says. “Where are you, Leonor?”

“I'm in Barcelona, visiting Sofía.”

“Oh, is she there? Are you girls out together?” the king asks her.

“I'm out with someone, but not her. Pedri, say hello” she says, turning her phone so it faces him.

“I… Umm… Hello” he says with an awkward smile, hoping her parents can't see that he is blushing. Even though he has known them for years and shared many things with them, sometimes he still goes all shy when he remembers he is talking to the King and Queen of Spain.

“Oh, Pedri!” the queen says. “How are you? Everything ok?”

“Yes, perfect. Thank you for asking. And sorry for interrupting your lunch.”

“Oh, don't worry about that. What happened?”

“Uh?”

“Something must have happened for Leonor to call us and for you two to be having lunch together without Sofía” the queen says.

“Well… I… Umm” he mumbles.

“It's happening, mum” Leonor says, moving the phone so it is facing her again. “He's doing it!”

“He is doing what?” the king asks. 

“He is going to ask Sofía to marry him!”

“No!” the queen gasps as loudly as Leonor earlier. Maybe even louder. “You better not be messing with us.”

“I’m not, mum. I swear. Pedri, tell them” she says, turning her phone again. 

“I… Ummm… Yeah. It's true” he says. “I want to ask Sofía to marry me.”

“He's doing it! He is doing it!” the queen screams.

“I heard you, darling” the king chuckles. 

“Our baby is getting married!”

“First she has to say yes” he chuckles again. “And I have to give Pedri my blessing too.”

“Oh, please” she says, rolling her eyes. “You don't need to do that. It is just a formality, not something you actually have to do, and we live in the 21st century, not the middle ages. Besides, we all know you love him like the son you never had. You are as happy as I am about this. Maybe even more.”

“I am, yes” he smiles. “And even if you don't need it, you have my blessing, Pedri.”

“Thank you, sir” he replies.

“Now, details” the queen says. “Have you chosen a ring? Do you know where you are going to propose? And when? Because we have a trip to South America coming soon and…”

“Mum, relax” Leonor chuckles.

“Sorry, I'm sorry. I am just so happy for them!”

“We can tell, darling” the king says. “But tell us, Pedri. Have you thought of anything?”

“I have not, no” he says. “I was hoping that you and Leonor could help me, because I don't know where to start. I mean, I have some ideas about where I could do it, but the ring? She likes jewellery so much and each piece she owns is so different that I don't know what she could like. And maybe there is like some tradition to follow? A ring to pass from one generation to another? I don't know.”

“I think I have an idea” the king says.

“You?” the queen says, arching an eyebrow.

“Yes, me. Has she ever told you about her favourite painting?”

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“I can't believe you managed to close an entire museum to celebrate our anniversary.”

“Perks of being your grandmother's favourite” Pedri winks. “And this is your museum too.”

“What?”

“Reina Sofía?”

“Pedri, this museum was named after my grandmother, not me. We may share the same name, but I've never been and never will be queen.”

“You are the queen of my heart, tho” he smirks.

“Oh… my God” I laugh, my voice echoing on the empty corridors. Or almost empty since I know Carlos is keeping an eye on us from somewhere.

“What? It is the truth” Pedri says before making me twirl and pulling me against his body. “Have I told you yet that you look beautiful tonight?”

“You have, yes” I say, wrapping my hands around his neck while he starts to slowly rock us from side to side. 

We are dancing to no music in the middle of a museum, surronded by art and history eveywhere, and it is… It is the most romantic thing ever.

“Well, you look so beautiful that I have to say it many times so it is accurate.”

“Like me telling you that I love you many times per day and still not being enough to show how much I love you?”

“Exactly” he smiles before making me twirl again. “Should we continue with our tour?”

“I like it here.”

“But I don't like that guy in that painting. It's like he is judging us.”

“If he can read minds, he probably is judging me.”

“You? Why? What is that pretty head of yours thinking about?”

“This pretty head…” I say, moving closer so only he can hear me. “Is thinking about all the things she wants to do to you, and all the things she wants you to do to her once we are alone.”

“Oh… I see.”

“Yep” I smile. “Though that king should not judge me too much since history books say he had like ten lovers and more than twenty bastards besides the five kids with his wife.”

“Really?”

“I mean, the legitimate kids definitely were five, there are records of it. The lovers and the bastards depend on the historian you ask. But everyone agrees on him not being the most faithful of husbands. He was married to one of the most extraordinary women in our history, and he treated her like shit despite being the one who was keeping the kingdom from falling apart while he was hunting, partying and getting drunk with his friends.”

“You aren't his biggest fan, are you?” Pedri chuckles. 

“I am not, no.”

“But you do like his wife.”

“She is one of my favourite historical figures” I smile. “There actually is a painting of her here at the museum that is one of my favourites. Do you want to see it?”

“Of course” he smiles back. “Lead the way, my lady.”

“My lord” I giggle when he takes my hand on his and kisses it.

━━━━━━❃━━━━━━

“She was beautiful.”

“She was, wasn't she?” I say while Pedri and I look at the painting in front of us. “And this is just a painting, so you can imagine how striking she must have been in real life. But she was more than just a pretty face. She was one of the most intelligent women of her time, and like I told you, the country didn't go to hell thanks to her.”

“So she basically was like you, but you have a faithful husband” Pedri winks.

“Oh, shut up” I laugh, giving him a little push. “First of all, you aren't my husband.”

“Yet” he smirks.

“And second, I've done nothing compared to everything she did.”

“Don’t say that, Sofía. You are helping people daily, making them happy and giving them hope, and I still haven't heard anyone complaining about it. And I'm talking about the people that matter, not the trolls online.”

“Yeah, I guess…” I sigh. 

“And if you don't believe me when I tell you that you are alike, just look at all the jewels she's wearing and the ones you are wearing right now. You are only missing the crown!”

“You know, I may like wearing so many things because of her” I chuckle.

“How so?”

“Even though I've always complained about my parents paying more attention to Leonor than me, there was a moment each month where I felt like that wasn't the case, and that was when my dad would bring me here to have something like a date just the two of us. We would visit a different part of the museum each time, but we would always come here and visit her, my dad always telling me something new about her. So I think I like jewellery so much because of all those hours I've spent looking at her and analysing every detail on this painting.”

“So like people say these days, you were influenced by her.”

“Exactly” I laugh.

“Do you have a favourite piece of jewellery she wears? Like one you wish you could have and wear every day if it was possible.”

“That ring” I say, pointing at it. 

“Wow, that was fast” Pedri chuckles.

“I've been obsessed with it since the first time I saw it for some reason. But unlike other pieces like the crown or the earrings, that one went missing. Some say she asked to be buried with it since it was a gift from the love of her life. And no, that wasn't the king.”

“So it was like… an engagement ring?”

“Something like that, yes” I say. “It was a ring that symbolised the love she and that man she loved so much had. A true and pure love that would last forever.”

“Like ours, then” Pedri smiles, kissing my hand again.

“Like ours, yes” I smile back. 

“One that we should also probably… seal, somehow.”

“What?”

“Sofía…” Pedri says, letting go of my hand to pick something that was hiding behind one of the benches on the room. A little box. A… wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait. Is that… Is he… “We always joke about me being the cheesy one in our relationship, but the truth is that when I have to actually be like that and put into words what I feel for you… What you make me feel… Well, I suck” he chuckles. “You actually are the one who has a way with words, the one who can properly express those feelings, not me. So since they say actions are louder than words, that's what I am going to do.”

“Pedri…” I whisper as he gets down on one knee. He's doing it. He is actually doing it, he… Holy shit.

“Sofía… my lady” he says with that smirk that he knows I love, the one I fell in love with the moment I first saw it years ago in Germany. “Would you marry me?”

“Pedri!” I gasp when I see the ring inside the little box. “Is that… is it…”

“We didn't desecrate any grave, don't worry” he chuckles. “This is a new ring, a copy of that one you love so much.”

“But I just told you about it! How did you…”

“Your dad” he smiles. “I didn't know which type of ring you would like because you like different styles, so I asked Leonor and your parents, and he mentioned this ring and this painting you've always been obsessed with.”

“So coming here tonight was my dad's idea?”

“That was all me, he just gave me the inspiration I needed. Going to museums has always been one of our favourite things to do together, this one has your name even if it wasn't named after you, it has your favourite painting of one of your favourite people, and the ring was inspired by it, so I thought it was the perfect place to ask you a question you haven't answered yet.”

“Uh?”

“I asked you a question, Sofía. Remember?”

“Oh, shit, sorry. Yes.”

“Yes…”

“Yes, I want to marry you, Pedri.”

“You do?”

“Of course I do!” I laugh. 

“Great, cool… Cool” he chuckles, his hand shaking as he takes the ring from the little box and takes mine. 

“You know how to do it, Pedri. You already did it once” I tease him, showing him the plastic ring on the other hand.

“I know. But this is the real deal, you know?”

“I know. And I love it.”

“Do you?” he says once the ring is on my finger, his thumb caressing my hand while still holding it.

“I do. I love it almost as much as I love you.”

“Almost?”

“Almost, yes. Because it is impossible to love anything more than I love you, Pedri.”

“I love you too, Sofía. Or should I say…” he says as he wraps one arm around my waist and leans me back like they do in movies. “Fiancée?”

“You should… fiancé” I smirk before he kisses me. “Did you hear that noise?” I whisper when we break apart.

“What?” 

“There is something… Carlos?” I call.

“Sorry, ma'am.”

“Carlos, are you crying?”

“I… I am, ma'am” he says, wiping his tears with the sleeve of his jacket. “It's just… you are getting married.”

“I am, yes” I smile, showing him the ring. 

“It's beautiful, ma'am. You look beautiful. Like, you should see your smile right now. It is the most beautiful smile I've ever seen.”

“Aww, Carlos” I say before hugging him and starting to cry too.

“I'm so happy for you, ma'am. For both of you” he says, awkwardly ending our embrace. 

“Thank you, Carlos” Pedri smiles. “We wouldn't be here if it wasn't because of you, you know? If you hadn't allowed Sofía to leave the Euros party…”

“Yeah” he chuckles. “Though I almost ruined it all when I heard your friends talking and I thought you were only interested in her because of a bet.”

“I actually think that misunderstanding is the reason why we are here” I say.

“What?”

“I don't know if without it Pedri would have been brave enough to tell me that he had had a crush on me for years” I say while giving him a teasing smile, his cheeks turning bright red. “Him being so open and honest with me just after we had met, somehow made me trust him and see that he wasn't like the other guys I had dated. That there were no secret intentions. So thank you, Carlos. And we are sorry for everything you've had to see and deal with over the years.”

“It's ok, ma'am. Just doing my job” he smiles. “Would you like to see the photos I've taken?”

“Photos? What photos?” 

“Carlos may have been our personal photographer and videographer during the night” Pedri says.

“What?”

“I wanted to remember tonight, and basically everyone in your family would kill me if there was no proof of what happened” he shrugs.

“That's… true, yes. Thank you” I say, kissing his cheek. “And thank you again, Carlos.”

“Ma'am” he replies, giving me his phone to check everything. From the sneaky photos he's taken of us smiling at each other throughout the museum, kissing or dancing together, to the video of Pedri getting on one knee and asking me to marry him. Because it happend, it was real. 

Pedri and I are getting married. 

[octuscle]

Cursed Ken, part 5: Kev, the bouncer

"Ajith" meant "the invincible one". What a silly name. Ajith thought of it regularly. But what could he do, he couldn't help his name. Ajith was one of those IT nerds that everyone needed but no one took seriously. Ajith was the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave in the evening. At some point, his hard work would pay off. He was sure of that…

It was already quite late when Ajith walked towards the cafeteria. The coffee machine in his department had already been cleaned and switched off. And if he wanted to keep going for another two hours, he urgently needed a coffee. The corridors were deserted. He heard footsteps coming from somewhere. A giant was heading towards the exit. A muscle-bound guy with a shaved head. Obviously one of the janitors. He was carrying a bin liner. Suddenly Ajith saw something fall out. A box. And although it would certainly have been sensible to point it out to the janitor, Ajith didn't. Instead, he walked as inconspicuously as possible towards the box. Ajith immediately recognized the box as a prototype toy. Professionally made. But clearly not a product that would be on a toy store shelf in this packaging. Or in a sex store, Ajith thought to himself. The young man on the packaging didn't look as if Ajith would let his daughter, whom he didn't yet have, play with it. And definitely not his son.

But Ajith was clever enough to realize that there was a market for this type of prototype. Fags were certainly willing to spend a lot of money on something like this. And Ajith could more than use the money. He cursed not having a jacket or a bag with him. But there had to be paper bags in the cafeteria for the sandwiches you could get there. And even if he had just found a treasure, he still had a few things to work off and he needed a coffee to do so.

Ajith's leather pants creaked with every step he took. He loved the feel of the unlined black leather hugging his thighs. As expected, the cafeteria was deserted. Only a young guy sat bored at the cash register, playing with his cell phone. When Ajith put the tray with the Coke and pastrami sandwich down at the till, the impressive bulge in his leather trousers had to be almost exactly at eye level with the young man, who was lying more than sitting in his seat. The young man's eyes widened in shock as the sight and smell of the leather snapped him out of his daydreams. Ajith asked with a grin if he liked the sight. The young fellow grinned and said that he had seen worse. He kneaded the bulge that appeared in his jeans. Ajith was sorry, but unfortunately he had to work. But he would be at Boxers HK from 22:00. If he felt like it, he would be happy to welcome him there.

Kevin wondered why he was actually sitting here in the cafeteria eating a really bad sandwich instead of eating at the store where he worked before his shift started. Shit, where was he anyway? Oh yeah, right… He had hooked up with the guy working the register for a quick blowjob via Grindr. And the boy had blown like the devil. And that had made Kevin hungry. But now he was late. If he wanted to be on time for his shift, he had to take an uber. Fortunately, there was one available nearby. The driver also seemed to like the passengers getting into his Prius. And Kevin wasn't exactly disgusted either. He liked Indians. They were polite and pleasant customers. And submissive and docile in bed. At the next red light, Kevin moved from the back seat to the passenger seat. And his driver didn't necessarily reach past the gearshift more than once by mistake. No wonder with an automatic gearbox. And with the pole sticking out of Kevin's pants. Shit, after the driver had operated the wrong gearshift a few times, he had to pull over again. And suck the pole next to the gearshift.

Being late was not good. But Kev was basically reliable and his boss overlooked the ten minutes. However, starting the service completely horny was never perfect either. Customers tended to stare at Kev's crotch rather than his face because of his hard-on. And with a hot guest, Kev sometimes disregarded the rules of the club. If the guest was a potential after-hours victim, he was allowed in the club. Kev was perhaps not the toughest bouncer in town. But he was one of the hottest and horniest.

[hannahssimblr]

A sliver of light hovers above the horizon. A glow, hardly even there, rests atop the sea as waves drag rounded pebbles along the shore with a soft shh. I can’t sleep. I crawled out of bed after three and walked straight to the water's edge without shoes, to find the sand cool and white beneath the glow of the quarter moon. I sit watching the sun graze the bottom of the sky like paint bleeding onto tissue. 

Sleep evades me sometimes for reasons I cannot explain. Insomnia arrives like this. It's like all those intense feelings and urges in my body. I can't verbalise them. I sit in boxer shorts and a hoodie on this final spit of beach before the coast turns to a cliff, and try to think of some poignant reason for my lack of sleep, only to come up with everything. There are a million reasons why. All the time, all at once, but then why only sometimes? And why tonight in particular?

Sometime around four, I change into a pair of shorts and run the length of the beach as the sun rises, pushing myself until sweat rolls from my body and there is fire in my lungs. I return to my end of the beach on shaky legs and take my clothes off, all of them, because the beach house is quiet and nobody is watching. Then I wade into the sea and float there with the waves lapping under my chin until the early birds sing and my hands and feet go numb. 

After a shower I collapse on my bed and sleep until close to midday, when I wake up to an empty house, starving, and with no food in the fridge. There is a message on my phone from Jen. 

Good morning lazy bones  Gone to the tennis court and then we’ll be on the beach, probably  See you around later? 

I forage the cupboards for something, but by the looks of it, the last of the food has been ravaged by the others, leaving nothing behind but crumbs and dirty plates, stacked up in the sink as usual. Someone should clean that eventually. 

When I locate my wallet among the random books and electronics heaped on the kitchen table, I zip open the coin pocket to find just a twenty-cent piece and a few useless coppers. I used the last of the money on my debit card at the petrol station yesterday. I know because I tried to buy some snacks and the only thing I could afford was cherry cola Tic Tacs which were rationed out between the three of us. I swear under my breath and call my dad. 

He’s already pissed off when he picks up. 

“Jude, what is it? I’m in the middle of something.”

“I need more money.”

“Already? What are you doing down there? I bet you’re putting it all into those stupid arcade machines, aren’t you?”

“No, I’m eighteen years old. I’m not doing that.” I’m also banned from the arcade, which he should know after the interminable speech he gave me about decorum and respect in the aftermath. 

“I put five hundred euros on that card.”

“Yeah, I dunno, I used it.”

“It was supposed to last the entire summer.”

I sigh, “It didn’t.” As he’s ranting in my right ear, I begin to wonder what I really did do with all the money. I suppose there was all of the alcohol, the takeaways, the junk food, that PlayStation game I bought, and the earphones for my iPod since I was careless with my old ones on the beach. Oh yeah, and I bought those running shoes too. I suppose that wasn’t a necessary purchase, I just wanted them.

Yesterday I bought everything for Jen and Evie, all of their tickets, food and drinks… I have a vague, passing thought that I might not be very good at managing money and that maybe I should have done accounting or something at school like my mom suggested instead of randomly choosing geography. I’m also aware that it’s completely fine. Once Christopher has finished going on about it he’ll simply send more. We just have to go through this charade first.

I wait for a gap in his mad diatribe and say casually, “So can you send me some?”

There’s a clatter in the background and I imagine him tossing his little weighty engraved silver pen across his desk. He grits his teeth, “What do you need?”

“I dunno, another few hundred. I want to book tickets to this festival in August, too, I think they’re, like, two-fifty, so.”

“A festival?” He really doesn't need to act like we’re discussing satanic rituals, but I continue as though I'm talking to a normal man. 

“Yeah, I want to enjoy my last summer in Ireland and all that.”

He makes some flabbergasted sound in response, which is obviously stupid because he has all the money in the world, and this whole thing is an exercise in control and power.

“So, a thousand?” I venture, resting my phone on my shoulder so I can pick some dirt out from under my nails. 

“Yes. Later.”

“No, I need it now, there’s no food in the house and I’m hungry.”

He taps furiously on the keyboard of his computer, “Fine.”

“Hm?”

“Fine. I said fine. I’m transferring it.”

“Thanks.”

The line goes dead. 

Beginning // Prev // Next

[agatha-agere-all-along]

Could you do little and fem reader with mama Agatha? Where reader had a bad overstimulating and anxiety inducing day and heads home to be with Agatha but stubbornly refuses to let herself drop and Agatha has to slowly coax herself in? And could reader have a little age of 2-4? Sorry for being so specific 😭. Thanks for consideration!

No worries! Only thing I changed is reader is non-gender specific! But you're free to imagine it as fem! ^^

ALSO SORRY I TOTALLY DIDN'T SEE THIS 😭

Mamagatha + 2/4 reader! - Overstimulated.

(warnings! Mentions of doctors and meds. Anxiety, and overstimulation!)

You would consider yourself an anxious person. You fidgeted, a lot. Or stimming, as your doctor called it. They'd prescribed you medication to help with it, but you certainly didn't notice a difference.

When Agatha entered your life, however. It's like, a lot of that crushing weight suddenly didn't exist. And most days, you felt less anxious and more... you.

Today was, so, not one of those days.

See, you worked in a very people demanding job. Not one you wanted but, you needed money. Bright lights lit up the store, the slushie machine you had to clean today was all yucky and sticky, you got yelled at. Then, you also had to cram in an online class, trying your best to not let your poor grades slip further. Which, the stress made your anxiety spike for the test tomorrow.

Speaking of slipping, you just- wouldn't. When you got home, you barely even acknowledged Agatha greeting you. You really, really, really just wanted to lay down with your lights off and cry, preferably? On your own.

Reaching the basement, though, where your temporary room was set up—A mist of purple magic locked the door, a hum came from behind you. "So, take it I'm invisible?" She joked, before noticing you gave a quiet groan. Her smiled remained but her eyes frowned. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

"Bd..wrk..dy.." You mumbled something under your breathe, her face softens. "Does my baby need Mama today?" Her words, while tempting. You shook your head and push past her to instead go to the kitchen. "Not a baby..." murmured yourself.

"Mmmhm, sure you aren't." Her mouth turned into a slight grin, she had a feeling you wouldn't go five minutes without dropping. But if it took some coaxing from the witch, then she'd work her magic. (Not... literally-)

"Want me to atleast get ya a drink?" She offered as she strode into the kitchen with you, reaching for the fridge as you lazily climb onto a stool, face smashed against the counter top.

"Nghh.." You whined, as a cup us placed before you, you look up. "...not a baby." You repeat, as, she'd given you a sippy cup.

"Oh, I know... just, figured ya want that. You know, big kids are using those all the time these days, it's all the rage really." She was spewing horsecrap and you knew it. But you were thirsty and there was juice in front of you, so despite your grumbling, you drank it.

Oh, wow, that made you feel small.

"You a baby yet? Because Mama just put your blanket in the dryer before you got home, yeah?" Ohhh, warm blanky....

She brushed hair out of your face, and you whimper and nuzzle your head into her shirt. "You like that?" She asked, you didn't wanna admit it. But, yeah... you needed to be small, especially after today, you were feeling anxious and upset.

"Can Mama pick you up?" You actually had to think about it, not a hundred percent sure her hair would be okay, sebseoy wise, today. But after a second, you nodded, letting Mama scoop you up.

She coos, "There's my baby!"

[spahhzy]

Free as can be~

Ashley sighed into her sleeve for what seemed to be the umpteenth time, causing Andrew to look down from his book he was reading.

"You okay Ash?" He asked, shifting himself to next to his sister.

"Just bored..." Ashley said with a pout, and Andrew rolled his eyes.

"What? You mean living motel to motel on the run from law enforcement, cults, and an organ harvesting firm isn't exciting enough for you, " He said sarcastically as Ashley tossed a pillow at his face.

"Nope," she said, giggling before suddenly her stomach growled.

"You should probably go get something from the vending machine, Ashley." Said Andrew, which cause Ashley to grumble.

"I don't want no stupid cookie again... let's go out to eat! " Said Ashley with enthusiasm rising up and standing on the bed.

"No"

"Wah, oh come on, Andy, I know for a fact you have gotten sick and tired of cookies by now," Ashley argued back.

"What part of 'on the run' did you not understand?" He countered, and Ashley huffed before crossing her arms.

"We're only on the run cause you keep killing people," She said as Andrew breathed deeply, knowing his sister is right and wrong in what she said.

"But that doesn't mean we can't go and eat nice every once and a while" She complained.

"Ashley, it was just last week that I took you to a restaurant, and you almost stuck a fork down our waitresses' throat." Andrew complained as Ashley looked at him with a surprise look.

"That hussy was undressing you with her eyes. You could have gotten sick!" Ashley explained. 'Only I can do that!' Is what she wanted to add as well.

"Yeah, well, what's to say you won't do that at another restaurant, Leyley?" Andrew questioned, and Leyley held a hand over her heart.

"I promise to be on my best behavior...scouts honor"

"You were never a scout, Ashley..." said Andrew as he got up from the bed.

"And for good reason, you'd probably murder the camp counselor if they tried to touch me," She said, and Andrew knew she was right, he probably murder anyone their that tried to take his leyley from him.

"Fuck it, why not we'll go to a Benny's Diner how about that?" Ashley cheered jumping on the bed like she was a child.

"Yes, food! Actual none vending machine food!" She said and Andrew just smiled before tossing a pillow at her head causing her to fall off the bed.

"Get dressed dumbass"

-

Andrew looked out the dinner window as Ashley was eating happily away at her meal.

Across the street from him was a bar, he was assuming it was some sort of biker bar with how many motorcycles there were.

Motorcycles...

Looking at the machines, Andrew minds began to slip into a memory of some simple times.

-

"Wow, Andy, I can't believe you blew some of your college money on this, Mom's going to be pissed," said Ashley as she walked around a nice black motorcycle.

"I make enough to put it back Ashley, sides since when did you care about what mom thinks?" Andrew said as he cleaned off the bike a little.

"I don't, just surprised is all...my big Andy thinks he's so cool now, huh? " Teased Ashley as Andrew sat on the bike, ignoring her.

"Gonna attract all those whores to aren't you? Gonna have them ride along with you, hmm?" Ashley said with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"That's going to be hard to do with you around," He said to her.

"Wow...tell me how you really feel?"

"Oh, leyley if I did, I'm almost certain I'd be in jail," Andrew teased back causing Ashely to blush and look away, not at all liking how her brother can sometimes...sometimes push her buttons, suddenly the bike road to life as Andrew revved it a couple times.

Enjoying the noise it made.

Ashley shook her head, finding truth in the saying 'boys will be boys' and looking at Andrew's smiling face, butterflies began dancing in her stomach.

"Catch."

Ashley snapped out of her stupor as Andrew tossed a helmet into her direction.

"Wuh?"

"Come on, leyley, it will be just like old times on the bicycle we had remember?" She must have remembered.

Their folks got him a bicycle for his tenth birthday. Ashley didn't get a bicycle, just coloring books, so on her birthday, he stole pegs off the other kids' bike and attached it to his bike so that Ashley could always ride with him.

It was the best gift Ashley got on that day, being able to ride free with her big brother and it was a great gift for them both as It was one of the rare instances in their childhood where they could just enjoy being kids.

Andrew never forgot the big smile Ashley had that day of being able to ride on a motorcycle with him.

-

Andrew sighed, which caused Ashley to stop her rampant chewing, looking at Andrew. Ashley reached over with her fork and poked him.

"What's wrong, Andy?" She said with a mouthful, and Andrew bonked her on the head.

"I didn't need to see your mouthful," He said to her. Ashley giggled before swallowing.

"I'm sure you love seeing me swallow something else" She wiggled her eyebrows at him and Andrew almost snorted out his coffee he was drinking.

"Still...what is on your mind?" She asked, setting her fork down and taking a sip of her soda.

"Just reminiscent, I guess..." He confessed to her as he returned his gaze back to her.

"Ooh are you reminiscing about my fat fucking tits again?" this time Andrew choked on his coffee and began coughing and blushing as Ashley laughed causing the other occupants to look at the pair strangely.

Andrew tossed a piece of toast at his sister's head.

"Hey! That's perfectly good toast!"

-

The pair had finished their food without a hitch, and they swiftly left the diner after paying.

Now, it was time for a short walk back to the motel.

They proceeded past the bar where the group of bikers were, and as they proceeded to walk on by one biker in particular decided to try his luck.

"Hey sweetie, why don't you come over here and get the ride of a lifetime?" He said to her. Ashley just ignored him, giving him the middle finger, but Andrew, on the other hand, was silently fuming at how these bikers were looking and leering at his leyley...

"Lookie that boys, she's a real fiesty one, huh?" The leader said, earning a laugh from the rest of the gang. Andrew clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, Ashley sensing this took his arm and hugged it as they both walked past the biker.

"Hey, when you're done with the stooge, I'll ne waiting for you, Lil lady," said the leader as they Andrew and Ashley both rounded a corner out of sight.

-

Nothing was said as they made their way back to their motel, Ashley was a bit worried at seeing Andrew upset, but also...kinda liked how possessive he was.

Giving out a yawn, the food now giving her the sleepies.

"Get some rest, Ashley," Andrew said as he walked over and put a blanket over her.

"You...coming too...bed too?" She said, trying to stay awake, and Andrew just chuckled.

"After I clean up some stuff around the room, not really tired yet," He told her as Ashley violet eyes drooped more and more.

"Mmkay...love you," She said before finally she was out like a light.

"..." Andrew bent down before placing a kiss on her forehead as he looked at her calm expression.

He sat back down on the couch and waited a good whole hour to make sure Ashley was still asleep as he suddenly sat up from his couch, went into the kitchen, and procured his cleaver. Grabbing his jacket and stuffing the cleaver in his back pants pocket, he opened the door before stepping out into the darkness, giving one last look at Ashley before quietly closing the door.

-

"Man, did you see the tits on the dark-haired girl...what I would do that woman," said the sleazy biker as all his friends laughed and cheered him on.

"Alright, gang, I'm heading out. Don't cause too much of a ruckus," laughed the leader as he started his bike, the exhaust garbling loudly as the group cheered and said their goodbyes.

The biker drove for what was about five minutes when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that same dude that was with that beautiful woman earlier leaving the diner.

That man was Andrew, and he was leaning against the wall next to a dark alley smoking a cigarette.

Pulling over to the curb, shutting off his bike and pocketing his keys in his black stained vest, he leaned on the same wall right next to Andrew.

"Hey buddy, so tell me, how's that hot piece of ass been treating you?" He asked Andrew said nothing as he smoked his cigarette.

"I'm sure she's a real freak in bed to ain't she" It took all of Andrew will power not to grab the man's throat and tear it out.

"Hey, I have an idea... Why not let me have a crack at her? I'll pay you for it, hmm?" He asked, and Andrew was inches away from slicing his throat.

"How much are you paying?" Andrew asked, hating himself for saying those words, but if everything worked out, then he would do what he needed to do.

"For a glorious pieace of ass like that, all the money that's in my pocket which is..." The man patted himself from pants pockets to vest pockets before finally procuring money.

"$777.77" He told him with a sick grin on his face, Andrew looked at the money as he looked like he was considering the offer.

"Let's talk about this more... discreetly," He said, making a motion to the dark alley as the sleazy biker grinned, thinking he was going to get his dick wet tonight.

Walking like he won the lottery, he entered into the alleyway, Andrew not too far behind as his green eyes glared balefully at him as he reached behind and grabbed his cleaver.

"Alright, let's dis -" he was cut off real quick as sharp steal found itself ingrained into his face, the biker could only gargle as Andrew gripped at the cleaver hard and ripped it from his face.

"As if someone like you will ever touch my leyley... see you in hell, " He said as he began relentlessly hitting the man's head with the cleaver over and over.

Andrew, finally out of his rage, looked at his work. He sighed, another body to his name. This one, though, was like that warden...another sleaze and one that he was happy to kill.

But now it was time to clean up. Luckily, he brought some gloves.

It took him less than a half hour to chop away at the body before throwing it into the dumpster.

Finally, it was time to just throw the clothes out, too, as he grabbed the bikers' vest, a key fell out and onto the floor. Inspecting it, he took a look at the end of the entrance of the alley to see the dead bikers motorcycle.

Andrew smiled.

-

Ashley awoke to the sound of the TV playing in the background. She looked at the time on the alarm clock.

10:00pm.

"Andrew?"

Silence.

Looking around the room, She called out again.

"Andrew!"

Nothing.

Panic began to set in as a million thoughts went through her head.

'Was he taken?'

'Was he killed?'

'Did some floozy seduce him?'

'Did he....leave me?'

And before she could answer any of those questions, she heard the loud rumbling a bike make its way into the parking lot of the motel as she suddenly realized that Andrew went out to go fight that biker for how he talked to her.

While she would be swooning over the fact that her Andy was fighting for her honor, she had realized that Andrew was one man, and he couldn't just take on a small gaggle of bikers and if one was here that meant...

"No! Don't think such thoughts... just go and interrogate this stupid biker and find out where your Andy is, " She said to herself, going under her bed, pulling out her revolver. She stormed the front door, ripping it open and aimed the gun at the biker.

"You better tell me where my fucking Andy is you bastard!" She shouted as the biker quickly held his hands up.

"Ashley what the fuck!?" Came the voice inside the helmet, Ashley was so close to pulling the trigger and blowing this fuckers brains out when suddenly the man took the helmet off revealing.

"Waaaaah Annnndy!?" said Ashley as she tossed the gun back inside before running up to him as Andrew caught her in a hug and spun her around.

"I'm not going to ask what the whole gun thing was," Andrew said to her as Ashley nuzzled her face into his chest, relishing I'm his warmth.

"I...I thought I lost you to those stupid bikers," Ashley mumbled, and Andrew shook his head.

"No, leyley, I wouldn't dare leave you." He told her in earnest as he suddenly stepped to the side.

"So... like it?" He asked her, and she looked at the bike and then back to him.

"How did you get this?" She asked, eyeing him suspiciously, and Andrew just whistled but was slapped on the shoulder.

"What it was Free nighty nine!" He said with a serious face, and Ashley just looked at him with an expression that said 'really?'.

"Okay, it was a generous donation," He said to her, putting a hand on his heart when he said that.

"Did you kill that man?" Ashley asked.

Andrew remained silent.

"Annnnnndyyyyy"

"Whaaaat! Since when were you the moral compass!" Complained Andrew much to Ashley's joy.

"I'm not, now you know how I feel when I have to deal with you"

"Oh go fuck yourself"

"Come fuck me yourself coward!"

Andrew just sputtered and blushed, not wanting to continue.

Ashley looked over the bike before sitting down on it.

"Very nice, hey, this reminds me of your old bike you had before our folks sold it off!" She told him as she started to reminisce about all the places Andrew had taken her to.

Andrew let her talk as he went behind her and pulled out another helmet.

"Hey Ash"

"Hmm?"

"Catch!"

Ashley caught the helmet and looked at Andrew who just smiled.

"What do you say, leyley? Shall we ride again like old times?"

Ashley smile was very bright even in the dark of night.

Starting up the bike, Ashely sat behind Andrew before straping on the helmet. She wrapped her arms around Andrew's chest.

Carefully and slowly, they both drove around the parking lot before Andrew finally decided to go onto the main road. Looking behind him, Ashley nodded to him, ready to go.

Putting throttle, the bike glided smoothly on the open pavement as the exhaust reverberated off the city walls.

Ashley laughed in happiness as she felt nostalgia and warmth over take her while also enjoying the freedom and closeness with the man she loved.

Andrew was content, regardless of his situation. As long as his Leyley was happy, nothing else mattered.

The two sailed into the darkness, free as can be.

[mind-less-boy]

Hi I’m here to present to you why this song,

Is a really good song for Angel Dust.

So first off, the first couple lyrics sound like he’s talking/venting about Valentino like he was with Husk in episode 4

Hey you lil' piss baby, you think you're so fucking cool? Huh? You think you're so fucking tough? You talk a lotta big game for someone with such a small truck!

Like tell me this isn’t exactly (almost) like when Angel said “It took him like 30 minutes to count, and he only had three bills!” He’s clearly roasting Valentino and this is like he’s talking to Val or has had enough of him and finally saying something about it.

Aw, look at those arms Your arms look so fucking cute They look like lil' cigarettes I bet I could smoke you I could roast you And then you'd love it and you'd text me "I love you" and then I'd fucking ghost you!

This is giving when Angel wasn’t responding to any of Valentino’s texts. And also, even though Valentino is an overlord, Angel could do a decent amount of damage if he used his demon form to its full extent, maybe had someone waiting as back up, he could make a dent in Val.

With the big boys coming with the big stuff I feel so clean like a money machine, oh yeah Big boys coming with the big trucks Feel so clean like a money machine, oh yeah

Literally just about his like of work. The money part is kinda indicative of how he’s being paid to expose himself and I’m sure the rest can be out together.

Tell me what's the deal, I've been trying to go to bed I've been up for days, I've been tryna get ahead Said it all before, and I'll say it once again I'm better off alone

And this. The deal part especially, he made a deal with Valentino and the trying to go to bed part is just saying he’s so goddamn tired of everything he has to put up with. He barely sleeps, he’s hiding his pain behind this facade of arrogance and cockiness. I feel as though it’s implied that he’s tried time and time again to lighten his load of the deal, but it’s just met with Valentino making it worse and worse to the point that Angel doesn’t try anymore. He just gets fucked up when he doesn’t have work and forgets about it. The “I’m better off alone” part to me says that he feels like he can’t fall in love anymore. Hell, he doesn’t know what love feels like anymore because he’s been used for probably as long as he can remember. That is, until he meets Husk, probably one of the first people besides Cherri to not want him for his work, but as a genuine friend and in Husk’s case, romantic partner in the future.

THANKS FOR COMING TO MY TED-TALK

[the-hinky-panda]

The Preacher's Wife Series: Escape (Part I)

TW: Domestic spousal abuse: emotional, mental, physical, and sexual

Hank’s in love.

Again. 

It’s too soon, the wounds from the previous relationship still fresh, still stinging. But he thinks back to feeling Maggie pressed to his side, her hand in his, her head resting against his shoulder. It was one of the only times that he actually followed the speed limit back to her rental, trying to draw out the time. He can’t get it out of my mind just how perfect everything had been. He certainly doesn’t believe in romantic nonsense like soulmates but the feeling of watching Maggie walk into the cabin by herself was like watching a piece of himself go with her. 

Maybe he is starting to believe in soulmates. 

Either way, the problem remains of her husband and the process of getting her and the two children out of that mansion in La Jolla. He can’t contact Maggie directly so he approaches the next best thing, Maggie’s sister, Stitches. She’s been the medic for a couple years now and hasn’t mentioned anything specific about Maggie and her marriage. She’s hinted at being concerned for Maggie, always excited for Maggie’s visits to Santo Padre. But never has she brought up to the club a fear for her sister’s safety. 

Stitches is organizing her medical supplies in the treatment room in the clubhouse when Hank finally tracks her down. He’s only been back from Big Bear Lake for two hours and he can’t shake the conversation he had just earlier today in the truck with Maggie. He raps lightly on the open door. 

“Stitch, you got a minute?” 

“Yeah, absolutely.” She stands up and immediately starts scanning him, looking for any injuries. 

“I’m fine,” he waves her off. “I, uh, I actually wanted to talk to you about your sister, Maggie.” 

Concern immediately clouds her face. “Maggie? What’s going on with Maggie?” 

“I ran into her, up at Big Bear Lake.” 

Stitches’ concern dissipates immediately and she breaks into a big smile. “Oh yeah, she was heading up there for a conference.” 

Hank smirked. “Conference.” 

“Ah,” Stitches leans against the exam table. “So she told you about her other ‘job.’” 

“She did. My mom likes reading her books.” 

Stitches’ grin gets wider. “I’m sure the next time she’s visiting, we can stop by and see your mom if you want. It’ll do Maggie good, finding people who enjoy her books. She doesn’t get to have that satisfaction too much.” 

Hank smiles at that but then gets to the real reason for his visit. “Has Maggie ever said anything about how her husband treats her?” 

All positivity drains from her face. “I know he’s an asshole. Emotionally manipulative and a bully. I’ve been stashing money and family heirlooms for her in preparation for her to leave but she keeps telling me the timing isn’t right yet. Her publisher is also holding on to her royalties as well. Why?” 

“She just said a few things that concerned me. Wanted to get a clearer picture from you.” 

Stitches’ mouth is a firm, tense line. “What things?” 

The words are so bitter on his tongue when he says them. “I think he’s hitting her.” 

“That son of a bitch.”

She starts to move past him but he puts out a hand and catches her shoulder. The explosion is expected and he is prepared for it thankfully. “Now hold on. You know if that’s true, we do have to wait on her.” 

“Dammit, I know.”  She emits a frustrated noise and kicks the small trash can. “Shit. I had no idea he was hitting her or that it was even a possibility. He’s so focused on goddam appearances I didn’t think he would do that.” 

“It seemed like she let it slip when we were talking. She said it was never anything to go see about at a hospital or ER. I don’t think anyone knows.” 

“Course not. Simon Peters needs to keep his reputation clean or he could lose that money machine of a church. Can’t have a wife sporting bruises and casts…” Stitches pauses in her rant, her eyes going wide. “Oh my God. Her foot.” 

“She mentioned breaking it but didn’t say how.” 

Stitches returns to pacing the small room, her face thunderous. “I knew it. I knew Simon had something to do with her broken foot. The bones on the top of her foot were just snapped. She had to have metal pins and plates in there to fix it. She said her foot got caught under a box and she lost balance and fell backwards. It sounded fishy to me but she assured me that’s all it was.” 

Hank feels that sick feeling settling in his stomach. “What did it look like to you?” 

“It looked like someone stood on her foot and pushed her backwards, that’s what the breaks looked like.” Stitches lets out another sound of anger. “Six years! Six years, she’s been stuck in that house with that asshole! And I didn’t…” her eyes flood with tears and she covers her face with her hands. “I didn’t know, Hank. God, I didn’t know.” 

“What the hell is going on in here?” Bishop appears in the doorway. 

Tears are still streaming down her face and gives both Hank and Bishop the most helpless look. “My sister needs help.” 

Bishop turns to Hank. “What kind of help?” 

Taza appears at Bishop’s shoulder, peering into the room. “What’s going on?” 

“Stitches’ sister needs help,” Bishop says. 

Hank fills in the rest of the information. “Abusive husband.” 

Bishop nods. “He armed? Security guards? What are we talking?” 

“He’s the pastor of a megachurch,” Hank answers. “Lives in a mansion in La Jolla.” 

“The kids,” Stitches says. “We need to get the two kids too.” 

“Alright,” Taza puts his arm around Stitches’ shoulders. “We will. You talk to her, find out when would be a good time to get her and the kids out.” 

“Safely,” Hank adds. 

“Safely,” Bishop repeats. “In the meantime, if we have something coming up that needs attention, I’ll make sure at least three guys stay behind to help. You pick them. Okay?” 

Stitches wipes her eyes with her sleeve. “Okay. But don’t you have to bring this to the table or take a vote in Templo or something?” 

Bishop  glances at Hank and Taza, who give him minute nods, and he shakes his head. “No vote needed this time. Sometimes, we’re just all in agreement.” 

[disease-danger-darkness-silence]

Amazon Affiliate Listicle, but with my ADHD and propensity for swearing

So I'mma do a listicle of Amazon affiliate links just like every other place is doing for Prime Days.

I'm just gonna tell you ahead of time that I'm doing it for money and the sense of incredulity I feel about... Amazon as a whole.

🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃

A Backbone, probably the most ridiculous gaming accessory I've ever seen. Yes, I'd like to use my phone as a controller for $35 more than a normal PS5 controller costs and have almost no other functionality!

I am ALL ABOUT BIDET ATTACHMENTS, okay, but this brand is so fucking overpriced. I'm not paying $77 to launch high-powdered water up my chocolate starfish, and I'm definitely not paying the normal $110. I WILL say that I've used this brand and it was good, but... Dudes. It's a stream of water to make wiping your ass easier. How much is that actually worth? This is a much better price for the exact same functions.

When I saw this set of movies, I didn't see that it was James Bond. Daniel Craig is wearing like a sweater, but I also didn't realize it was Daniel Craig. All I saw was CRAIG. This is, for some reason, absolutely fucking hilarious to me.

Instant Pot for $65, need I say more?

Okay I'm not even joking, this is just a pretty fucking decent price ($84) for a 1.5 TB microSD card.

If you have a 3D resin printer, today is the day to stock up: AnyCubic has some really good resin deals going on! I personally love the plant-based resin, but I've heard amazing things about their water-washable stuff. I wanna try the ultra-tough resin, though. (Note: this is UV resin so you don't have to actually use it in a 3D printer. You can use it in a mold too.)

Let's spend $50 to make a single cup of coffee at a time when I can make better coffee using a disposable tea bag. 🙄 The hatred I have for single-use coffee makers knows no bounds.

What you do is take about two regular spoons full of coffee grounds (another half a spoon if you like it harsh, half a spoon less if you like it light), put them in the tea bag. Put any other spices and flavorings you like in the bag too. Close it, and tie it closed really well (I wrap the strings around the top of the bag and tie them again when I've tied it.) steep for 5 minutes in a mug full of hot water (doesn't matter how it got hot), and then add milk or creamer depending on your preference. It will have less of an acidic bite and a better flavor profile.

I'm super into the idea of bleaching my tooth enamel until it rots away and my teeth are super white but extremely sensitive! Give it to me, Crest! Yeah Daddy!

If you DO want the tooth-brightening shit, you'll probably want to invest in a few tubes of Sensodyne. Trust me.

Oh, you eat Tide pods? Cool, cool, if you Wan a be like 2021 about it. I'm a dishwasher pod kid. Snack time.

OK no sarcasm, this shit will clean your washing machine so fuckin good. My daughter gave me some and suddenly none of us smell like Satan's asshole anymore. Fucking amazing.

Okay look, if you wanna get special pimple patches, go ahead, they're on sale today and they DO work, but they're just hydrocolloidal bandages. I get the regular ones bc I can cut them to shape.

Okay fullstop, I love the power mops Swiffer makes and this is a GREAT deal. Anyone wanna buy me a new mop? 😂

Oh shit, they have Naked mini-palettes for 40% off. That's $21 omg why am I a poor with expensive makeup taste??? WHY? (They also have the Stila liquid eyeliner on sale somewhere.)

Yes, sir? I'd like the biggest, widest computer monitor to ever exist. I'm a gamer, you see. A thousand dollars today, you say? What a deal! I'm a gamer! (Look, I have a gaming computer and a pretty big monitor but there's a fkn limit, Samsung. There's a line and you've crossed it.)

I almost didn't click on the "pet products" tab because I miss Ziva SO MUCH. But I do love pampering my pets. In that vein, WHO WANTS TO BUY A SHOCK COLLAR?

If you've ever needed 900 poop-scooping mini garbage bags... Today is your day. Time to shine.

Aw fuck, I found a pretty damn good deal on a cat tree.

If you don't have a 3D printer, you have to buy Settlers of Catan like a peon and it's on sale today.

I'm actually disappointed in myself how much I want this.

TICKET TO RIDE FOR UNDER $40.

If you wanna train your pet to talk these things are on sale.

For the low, low price of $98, you too can let your child kill themselves by improperly using a Zipline kit.

EXPLODING KITTENS FOR $10 AND I MEAN THE GAME NOT ACTUAL KITTENS BUT I GUESS HE HAS A SHOW NAMED THAT TOO?

As a general rule Raven and I don't buy Nerf products because they're owned by Hasbro and we're boycotting them because of the whole Pinkertons thing. Plus, in the world of foam dart guns they're actually doing the worst when it comes to innovation and performance. But! We will get them on clearance or secondhand. I consider Prime Day to be clearance, so have this multipack for a kid's party that I wish I'd had for Raven's birthday party last month.

Also, this translucent blaster.

I love this style of shorts (although I got the viral tiktok ones) but omg this one has POCKETS.

Today I discovered that there is a brand called THE GYM PEOPLE and they make really boring clothes.

Hey plus-sized ladies! Want yet another ugly beige bra? Look no further!

I have one of these mandolin slicers. Highly recommend.

Get your kids used to corporate surveillance with an Amazon Echo made just for them!

THESE ARE THE ONLY PENS I USE.

Amazon putting these under "off to college" is absolutely fucking hilarious to me.

I'm actually really bummed I don't have the money to get this Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Amazon knows what's up when it comes to kids: a five-pack of identical pants. I think it's for uniforms but like. Let's be real, kids just go through clothes like that.

Every time I see a Skullcandy product, I remember when I was at a Skullcandy booth at the Warped Tour and I asked the booth babe how they compared to Sennheiser or even Audio-Technica. She looked at me, and in a snooty voice, said, "I've never even heard of Sennheiser before."

[breakingbadmspaint]

Breaking Bad Season 4 (MS Paint)

I'm watching Breaking Bad and drawing my experience on MS Paint with my mouse.

[Season 2] [Season 3]

These seasons keep getting more intense and packed with stuff that I fear this is going to become more text than drawing soon.

Ep1

You can't just give me my baby boy looking so cute and excited!!

OH GOD NO THEY CAN'T DO THIS TO ME AGAIN. I JUST GOT HERE, I'M ONLY 6 MINUTES IN.

EVEN VICTOR IS UPSET (and I like to believe It's because he likes Gale)

YEAH YOU SHOW THEM VICTOR FUCK YEAH

-- oh my god the rage you can feel off Gus right now. He's terrifying, I love him.

THIS DOWN VIEW IS SO POWERFUL. THE REDS AND THE DARK BLUES OOOOOOO Gus feeling like he's towering over them.

THIS SCENE IS SO GOOD HOLY SHIT.

I'm watching with such intensity

-- WHAT WHY WHAT WHAT WHAT

Ep2

-- money money money money money

-- aw they're actually trying to get clean- damn it Jesse

I hope they go back to rehab group

-- That poor roomba

-- Walt really just going to get himself killed honestly.

These shots just keep getting better and better. You're small and blue Walt.

-- OH SHUT UP WALT, YOU DID IT ALL FOR YOURSELF

Ep 3

-- Those bastards dare use Gale's coffee machine still.

Okay so I love Huell. I swear to god if he dies.... I can't handle it.

-- It takes one threat to Walts ego for him to finally agree to the car wash🙄

-- oh Marie is going to get herself arrested, 100%.

-- man poor Jesse. The spiral his life has gone down.

-- OH SHIT MARIE

I think she likes the colour purple. Just a feeling.

Ep 4

The things he has to put up with. He looks so fed up.

-- OH GOD HIS EAR

LMAO Walts face when Skyler says "We want them to understand why you'd do something so stupid"

GET HIM SKYLER, GET HIM AND HIS STUPID EGO

omg Gale, my baby. I'm sobbing I love this man. Singing Karaoke in Thailand living his best life.

-- YOU BETTER FEEL GUILTY WALT. YOU BETTER (He doesn't)

-- Man Walt, how can you not realise Jesse is god damn traumatised over that event and you're just trying to make him relive it.

Ep 5

I would love some chicken right now

-- I'M SOBBING GALE IS SO CUTE

-- Jesse & Mike roadtrip montage!

-- HE SAID IT! "YOU! ARE NOT THE GUY! YOU'RE NOT CAPABLE OF BEING THE GUY, I HAD A GUY BUT NOW I DON'T~ YOU! ARE NOT! THE GUY~" I've heard part of the breaking bad remix before I even saw the show.

-- I really struggle to tell if Walt genuinely cares for Jesse or if it's just because he can easily manipulate him.

-- Oh no, Walt is drunk and getting his ego destroyed. This isn't a good combo.

-- OH SNAP HANK IS FIGURING IT OUT

Ep 6

-- I sense a war about to happen. Don't mess with Gus and his stuff.

Big scary baby man with big ego wah wah

-- I don't think insulting Jesse is going to keep him on your side Walt

-- oh my god, Walt if you get those ladies killed because you don't want to clean... YOU'RE NOT EVEN HELPING THEM

This is the father/son duo I want

huuuuh?????

-- Walt you bastard, look what you did!

-- Does Gus actually see potential or is this manipulation???

Ep 7

-- I miss Huell, when do we get more Huell.

-- My god Walt, if you dare ask Jesse to kill for you again

-- I'm fist-fighting Walter White

-- oooh sly Hank, very sneaky. Also I just love Gus in his yellow uniform.

He's just sat there like :T

DAMN HANK!!! Great at his job, holy shit

Ep 8

-- I'm sure Gus will find a way out of this since he has a lot of contacts and he's smart

-- I think Hank is getting a bigger target on his back

-- HUELL!! YIPPEE

This is beautiful

-- OOOH LOOK AT YOUNGER GUS!!! CUTE!!!

-- OH MY GOD

Ep 9

-- Oh Skyler honey, I don't think you realise he can't quit even if he wants to. He screwed up any chance of that, It's either make meth or death

-- UH OH TED OH NO SKYLER I KNEW IT'D COME BITE YOU IN THE ASS

-- HOLY SHIT MOVE JESSE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET SNIPED

OH DAMN OMG GUS HOLY WHAT

-- ooh please say Saul walks in, pleaaase- Oh Skyler, that's unexpected. Oh my god is she playing dumb???? OH MY GOD

-- Jesse you need to stop throwing your DNA covered cigarettes everywhere

-- Walt is making me so mad omg. His ego and paranoia are going to make him end up alone

Ep 10

-- I wonder what Gus's plan is, I'm sure there is more to it than just sending Jesse away

-- HELL YEAH JESSE DAAAAMN Making Gus and Mike proud

-- TED OH MY GOD

-- Oh I'm so nervous

-- Please be poisoned, please be poisoned - wait no GUS no don't be poisoned aaaaah

I'm so scared, how are they getting out of this

-- OMG OMG OMG OMG HOLY SHIT

Ep 11

Is Jesse going to have to do surgery on Mike?!?

He's so happy with his revenge

-- God I thought he was going to hit him with that chair for a moment

-- HUELL WOOOO

-- OMFG TED - okay he's still alive(?)

"Does it have to be dirty?" "No :)"

-- See, you pushed everyone away Walt- OH SNAP

Walter White has been ejected

-- Oh my god Walt, don't test him, he will find a way to hurt you

-- Point proven, he just threatened to kill your baby

-- Walt joker moment

Ep 12

-- Damn he's good at talking his way into a place - OH SNAP DRUG DOG

-- My god, Marie really loves purple, EVEN HER COFFEE PACKAGING IS PURPLE???? Does she buy it because It's purple???

-- Gosh what mystery potion is Walter making - OH A BOMB

Ep 13

-- UH OH Jesse

-- AHJFKHKFHA HOUSE MENTION AHAHAHA

Walter climbing through a door like a gremlin is beautiful

-- That old lady aw, wait she's not going to get hurt right?!?

-- HOLY SHIT

I knew it was coming but I'm still so sad

-- WOAH

-- WHAT THE FUCK IT WAS WALTER THE WHOLE TIME OMFG AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH I'M FIGHTING HIM, I'M FIST FIGHTING HIM

[artichokefunction]

[-And the robot can entertain my daughter. I'm curious to see how it does.]

[Hey- mom! This is a killing machine! What if it hurts me or, I dunno, breaks something?]

[Then it's distributor would owe me a lot of money. Again, this is a small test. I want to understand its performance.]

and with that, the lady of the house leaves, with the handler in tow. she's gonna be doing stuff he is good at- business negotiations -for the next hour at the very least, and you're stuck on babysitting duty. the kid no longer seems concerned about how dangerous you might be, which is nice, you suppose. she's on her phone.

you are still just standing here. uhh. you could just wander off, maybe. these halls are ridiculously spacious, this is some sort of small palace. or maybe a palace-sized palace. you are unfamiliar with the politics of palaces, but the owner is doing business with the handler, so this can't be entirely legal. then again, you're vaguely aware of the history of monarchies, so like who knows what the story is here. the thing that's important to you here is that the kid is tugging on your sleeve to get your attention.

[Hey. Can you teach me how to shoot? Dad has a firing range downstairs.]

there's a firing range here??? you want to see that, yes. you nod at her, and she leads you down several hallways that you only take vauge note of before you arrive at the basement firing range, as promised. it's alright, pretty small but that's not too surprising. the kid still wants to learn how to shoot a gun, so you rummage around until you find the equipment and then you do your best to show her how to use a pistol. it's not too complicated, you think. maybe it's been too long since you were around beginners [or kids] but this kid kinda sucks at this. oh wait how old is she even. you have no idea. small enough to be sorta puntable but old enough to give out at you in detail when you adjust her stance and grip for the nth time. she hits the target, and gets excited, and tries again without fixing her aim first, and she misses again. and she gets frustrated.

[This sucks. I'm bored. I'm going back to my room.]

yeah, you kinda feel the same way. the kid is trying to be sneaky but you do notice her slip the pistol into her pocket. you don't stop her, she has the safety on, and if she tries anything you'll be able to deal with it. it could be funny, who knows. the trip back through the building is unremarkable until suddenly it *isn't*, because of the gunshots coming from the halls on the way to the front door. ah. that is bad. you should keep this kid safe. she is hiding behind you. you turn to her, and tilt your head, and point down the hall ahead.

[Uhh, my room is just around this corner. The left one. I dunno if it's safe tho.]

you gesture for her to follow you, and then you peek around the corner to ascertain the number of threats. none yet. you move quickly and she follows you, and she isn't used to moving quietly. her steps are real loud. you reload your pistol as you go, and it's good that you do, because just as you get to the one door in the house that looks like a kid owns it [all stickers and shit instead of plain and clean] a bullet narrowly misses your head. fuck. you grab the kid[s arm] in one hand and the doorknob in the other and you swing her inside in one smooth motion. which would be cool if you weren't still being shot at. you fire at the first gunman and take him down but in the time you've taken to move the kid to safety the rest of the intruders got loaded and ready. you move to intercept, because the alternative would be moving away, down the hallway, which would leave the kid's room wide open. you launch yourself to go barreling into the nearest target, and he lands on his head, with a loud resonant crack. it takes you a second to recover, a second too long. no wait. a second for him to be wide open to getting shot from behind. by the kid. she has the right stance and everything. wow. there are still two gunmen standing. you shoot one in the wrist and the kid shoots the other in the shoulder. that mightve been a headshot that missed. still helpful. it's not hard for you to knock them out and end the conflict. you take a moment to breathe. then you give the kid a thumbs up. she looks shaken. she gives you a thumbs up back. you get a ping from the handler. it's a barebones set of directions to get to a specific room. you can do that. but first you go over to the kid, and you point at the floor of her room and wait for her to nod her head and tell you that she'll stay where it's safe, and you make sure her door is closed properly, and then you go.

its not hard to get to the place, you only encounter two gunmen on the way, and they weren't expecting you. you leave 'em lightly stunned, and walk away before they get back up. they could follow you but they don't, which seems weird. it's weirder when you get to the room. inside it's all plush and fancy and unlived in, like a painting, and the handler is sitting across from the lady of the house, and looking deeply frustrated. he might be about to cry, actually. the lady looks kinda the same as earlier, all smug and threatening in the non physical way.

[Impressive. It did what you promised, and it dealt with the unexpected threat with minimal danger to my daughter. It truly is a remarkable tool, I might be in the market to buy this from you. What would your initial price estimate be?]

the handler takes a deep shaky breath and says [no, listen, there's been a misunderstanding. my agent is not available for sale, it and me are available for hire, but you failed to inform us of the intensity of this assessment, so we will not be doing business in the near future.]

ah. that was a test. it was arranged it was fake it was. pointless. yyyou uh. you want to slam the lady's head into that shiny desk and you aren't allowed to do that. just before you leave you catch the lady smiling thinly and saying [No, I think you don't understand, I-] and the door slams louder then you meant it to as you go. you. you. you. you storm through the halls and you make a lot of noise and no one attacks you because the threat was always fake. this was a setup. this was fucking. fuck. you're in front of the kids room again. you open the door. she's sitting on the bed, staring at you. you sit in a soft chair thing and you grab your face and squeeze until it hurts.

[Was it Mom?]

you nod, stiffly.

[Yeah, she's like that.] there's a beat of silence, and then [Do you want to play a game? I got this a while ago, it's good.]

she gets up and puts a chip into a small gamingtype computermachine, and then she goes through some screens until it shows two guys squaring off on a big empty stage. she hands you a controller.

[Press buttons and see what they do. I'm gonna try to beat you in this fight, you do too.]

-

you and the lady have fallen into a tense, angry silence. better then that conversation. goddd fuck. you're getting out of here. you're finding the agent so you can get out of here. it hasn't gone anywhere new so it's not hard to find, so you can focus on regulating your breathing. she saw and she knows but you don't want to give her the satisfaction of crying here. you open the door and the room inside is all soft and messy, loads of pictures and posters on the walls and lots of pillows on the floor. and the agent and the kid are playing some fighting game. huh. you walk over and crouch down next to your agent, and you take a second to try and make your voice sound normal, and then you ask what they're doing.

[Gaming.] the kid replies, flatly. the agent makes a low, focused sound. it presses a bunch of buttons and does something and its avatar gets immediately, totally destroyed for it. it's a little bit funny.

[Your robot is good at this. I'm better tho.]

you laugh, once, and it sounds more tired then you meant it to.

[me and the robot have to get going now, sorry kid.]

[Nooooo, one more game one more game-] but the agent has already put down the controller and stood up. it gives the kid a single, small salute, and after a second the kid returns it. you lead the way out, so that you can pointedly ignore the lady of the house, and you do see the way she tries to follow you before giving up, in an attempt to save face. and it's a little bit funny. the agent moves from behind you to beside you, and without even waiting for the lady to be out of sight it asks you if it can pleaaase kill her.

[no, not today. and are you assuming she doesn't know sign?]

it gives you a very pointed look, which could mean either [there is no way] or [i do not care] and that makes you laugh properly. you take a deep breath once you're outside, and you cut through the pointlessly nice lawn on your way to the truck. once you're inside, you take a moment to lie your head against the steering wheel and breathe, and then you take another moment to play the cd with the best calmdown songs on it, and then you drive off.

[richardsphere]

Leverage Log: The San Lorenzo Job

OK, we're really switching to season-long setups now with the return of Manticore as a Plot-point. Not really a fan, I personally like shows where stuff can actually stand on its own to stay that way. It feels unfair to suddenly rely on the audience to start taking notes from previous episodes when you've trained them not to.

So now we know that there are 3 things to be stolen this episode: The Election/The Country itself (stuff the ballot boxes or hack the machines, possibly a Sophie Thing, grifting not a Person but a Country entirely), His Backup Gold and Diamonds (Big Parker Moment?) and the Manticore Servers (cause Leverage Consulting is not stupid enough to let that thing go out on the open market a second time. They learn from their mistakes. )

I guess there's a small chance they don't steal Manticore? In that they could also say "the servers will go on the open market after Moreau's take-down, and we'll just buy it with the money we steal from him" like he bought it after they stole it from Duberman, But that doesn't feel like how the Leverage Crew operates.

----

The Italian makes another appearance, "Damian Moreau will never leave San Lorenzo". Clearly a case of Exact Words 101, So of I'm right they're gonna turn his Shelter from extradition into his prison.

---

OK the heroes have all touched all the TV's in the electoral command center, which means they're now all Hardison-ed. Compromised, don't trust anything a TV shows in this episode.

---

So they're compromised (definitely not intentionally no-no this show would never make the bad guy think he knew what was going on to make the bad guy overconfident. They'd never do that /s)

But are you telling me Hardison hadnt hacked the stuff yet? Thats like the first thing he does? Normally... Normally its the first thing he does, i forgot about Manticore didnt I.

---

"How is a campaing promise different then a lie", come-on writers, tell us how you really feel!

----

What scandal could be worse then Sex or Corruption? Animal Cruelty, Puppies... You can tell the writers loved coming up with this as a plot.

Love the way that their chosen stooge absolutely despises them. Like Nate is not a nice guy and this is a genuinely good person forced to work with Nate at his sober-est.

---

The way that Sophie tells the poor guy exactly how she's gonna manipulate him with the handshake, then proceeds to do it.

---

And the team is back at what they do best biochemical warfare, Nothing these guys cant accomplish by drugging the heck out of some people.

--- Oh jackbooted thugs with face concealing masks, in a show where the heroes are always disguising themselves as anyone and everything, shoot Shophie on camera? Yeah that was the plan, make it look like democracy is falling apart to get them in trouble with the UN watchdogs. Tell the Current President he can simply frame Moreau to clean his own hands... give him a nice retirement package... I can see Nate's angle.

---

So yeah, play your enemies against eachother, steal an election, Sophie's face is going to be on the money now. Sophie grifting so hard she makes a president feels like a good enough Big Sophie Moment. So they didnt steal Manticore, just imprisoned the owner and then had it become a San Lorenzo Government Property (which is now an actual democracy).

No big parker moment... kind of sad, but having Parker steal all his gold off-screen feels like the most Parker way to steal. the simple "yeah she's good enough we dont even need to show the audience" is Parker enough for Parker. even if the 2-part finale didnt give her a "moment" the finale didnt need it.

[www-pinkhearse]

Hey you lil' piss baby, you think you're so fucking cool?

Huh?

You think you're so fucking tough?

You talk a lotta big game for someone with such a small truck

Aw, look at those arms

Your arms look so fucking cute

They look like lil' cigarettes

I bet I could smoke you

I could roast you

And then you'd love it and you'd text me "I love you" and then I'd fucking ghost you

With the big boys coming with the big stuff

I feel so clean like a money machine, oh yeah

Big boys coming with the big trucks

Feel so clean like a money machine, oh yeah

Big boys coming with the big trucks

Feel so clean like a money machine, oh yeah

Big boys coming with the picture

Feel so clean like a money machine, oh yeah (oh yeah)

Feel so clean, like a money machine

Feel so clean, like a money machine

Feel so clean, like a money machine

Feel so clean, like a money machine

[renegadesfic]

In The Afterglow - Chapter 2

So this has actually been up on AO3 for a couple of days, but I forgot to post it here. Oops! Here it is now. NB people stay winning.

The first thing that Angel was met with when she stepped into the classroom was noise. A lot of noise. Classrooms were loud, she had expected that to a degree, but it was still a little bit of a culture shock - never having attended public school does make one more susceptible to being overwhelmed by the amount of, well, everything.

Cor must have seen her flinch at the loud chatter, because he put a hand on her back as if trying to steady her. “You okay?” He asked, seemingly unfazed. Well, he would be. He’d been in public school his whole life.

“Just… when you go to religious private schools… most classrooms aren’t this…” she paused.

“This rowdy?”

“Yeah. Rowdy’s a word for it.” She felt the pressure on her back increase just slightly and leaned into it on instinct, startling a little when she realized what she was doing. She attempted to pull away, but Cor didn’t seem to notice. Instead, he swung the backpack strap off his free arm, pulling away from her just long enough to get the other strap off and hold it in the hand that hadn’t just been pressing warm and solid against her back.

“Come sit?” He pointed to two empty desks on the opposite side of the classroom. “If you’d rather take a seat in the front, you’re welcome to, just thought I’d offer.”

There weren’t desks next to each other in the front.

“Sure,” she said, and made her way through the barely navigable mess of backpacks and extended limbs to the aforementioned seats.

“It’s not even quite eight, so we could be here a while. If you want to grab a snack or something, there’s vending machines down the hall.”

“I’m okay,” she said quickly. “I ate breakfast.”

“Well, if you want anything, I can spot you some cash.”

“Aren’t you basically homeless?”

“I told you I have a place. I just don’t live with legal guardians. Trust me, I have spare cash. Wasn’t sure if your family let you carry that stuff.”

“I have a credit card,” she shook her head, “but no cash. You’d be right on that one. It’s harder to get cash back than it is to freeze a card if something gets stolen.”

“I get the feeling your family wouldn’t miss it much, though…” he shrugged. “I guess it’s good they’re teaching you to be responsible with money?”

“Responsible is not the word I would use.”

“What would you use then?” He looked at her, meeting her eyes for a moment. She wasn’t sure if she looked away first or he did, but neither of them could quite hold the gaze. She might have hesitated a little too long before responding, because he tapped on her desk. “Earth to Angel?”

“Oh. Sorry. Um… I was…” she glanced nervously at him. He was looking at her again. And again, both of them looked away.

“Did you hear me?”

“I… did, but I forgot what you said.”

“I asked what you would call how they handle money, if not responsible.”

“Oh.” She grimaced a little. “They’re the kind of people who… flaunt wealth. Somehow they keep our house both pristinely clean - to the point of being boring - and filled to the brim with clutter. I guess they think having expensive stuff everywhere makes them look more important.”

“Lots of people think like that. Especially people like them.”

“Not everybody, though?” She tilted her head at him.

“Nah. Like I said, the people I live with have plenty. They just live well within their means. You wouldn’t have any idea they were loaded if you didn’t know them.” He looked down at the desk for a minute. “Unlike the people I lived with before.”

“You said foster parents. Not good people?”

“It’s astonishing,” he sighed, “how many people in the business of fostering are actually horrible to the kids they take in. A lot of them only do it for the social security checks.”

“So why did they let you leave, if they want the money?”

“Because part of the deal was that I let them keep cashing the checks and they leave me alone.” He scowled. “I’m not complaining, don’t get me wrong. I love living with Gwyn’s family - Gwyn’s my bandmate’s name, I don’t know if I mentioned. Just… it’s kind of a shitty thing for them to actually agree to, you know?”

“Yeah.”

There was a loud thunk as someone set a bag down on the desk in front of Cor’s. From a sitting position, Angel was craning her neck up to see the person - if Cor was almost a foot taller than her, this person had almost a foot on him, and that was kind of insane.

“Shit, do we have the same homeroom this year?” He nearly jumped out of his seat. The other figure turned - Angel caught his expression for a moment, stubble clinging to his chin in a manner far scruffier than how Cor maintained his appearance as he smirked - and immediately punched him in the shoulder. She winced instinctively - getting hit by someone that big was…

“You good, Angel?” Cor put a hand on her shoulder. “Did we scare you?”

“I… no, I’m fine. Sorry. Just startled.” She had a feeling he could tell she wasn’t being fully honest, but to his credit he didn’t pry, instead taking a step back and giving her a little pocket of open space around her desk.

“This is David,” he said, “my other bandmate. He’s kind of insanely talented.”

“‘S’up,” David looked down at her. He had to be at least six and a half feet tall.

“Um… hi?”

He looked at Cor. “You called her Angel? Is that her name or are you already hitting on her?” He grinned. Cor’s face darkened - Angel’s face went bright red.

“Not flirting. She’s new, she’s a transfer, nobody ought to flirt with her until she at least knows her way around the building.”

“So you’re saying when she knows her way around the building you’ll flirt with her.”

“I did not say that!”

“But did you think it?” David was grinning wide. Cor shook his head and sat back down.

“I’m sorry about… that.” He gestured to his friend. Angel, still trying to come back down from the cherry-red shade her face had taken on, took a moment to compute what he meant.

“It’s fine,” she finally managed. “I’m just not used to… attention. In general.”

“What, people weren’t into you at other schools you went to?” Cor looked confused. Was that genuine surprise?

… Was she seriously flattered by that?

“Not really,” she said. “Or at least they never said anything. It’s kind of… not discouraged, but… just wasn’t really a thing? Where I’ve been?”

“Well, welcome to real high school, where crushes are what like half the drama centers around. Sorry this is your introduction.”

“I’m not,” David said, sitting down at his own newly-claimed desk. “She’s cute.”

“You have a girlfriend,” Cor said, gritting his teeth a little.

“Yeah, and Brianna would also think she’s cute, I’d put money on it.”

“Just lay off, alright?” He scowled at his friend. “Give her some space.”

“Again, I have to ask - are you saying that because you care about her, or because you care about her?”

The emphasis on the second half of that was more than intentional.

“David, I will ask you one more time to shut the hell up, and if you don’t, I will fuck up every drum in your drum kit before you come over next.”

“That only hurts you, dude. I don’t mind the setup. You’re the one who gets impatient when I take too long.”

Angel caught herself just a little late, letting out a small laugh at the bickering between the two.

“What, is that funny?” David turned to her. “Cor, I’m gonna steal your girl. She already thinks I’m funny.”

“Stop it,” Cor glared.

“It’s… a little funny. But mostly… sweet? I didn’t… you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll get used to it.” She shrugged. “Plus, I think he’s only saying it to mess with you.”

“You would be right about that! As Cor so kindly pointed out, I have a girlfriend who I like very much. However, that does not under any circumstances stop me from looking at my other options.”

“You’d break up with her?” Cor looked incredulous. “I don’t believe you.”

“Dude, how many times have I told you Seung’s super cute? How many times have I told you Gwyn is super cute? It’s not about breaking up with anybody. You should know that by now.”

“Does she want you flirting though? Like, it’s one thing to call someone cute. It’s another thing to openly hit on someone you don’t even know?”

“Sorry, who are we hitting on that we don’t know?” Another bag was set down, this time on the desk in front of Angel’s - and with significantly less force. This person at least didn’t tower more than a foot over Angel if she were standing - they seemed like they’d be about the same height.

“Fuck yes, you’re in here too?” David turned. “Hey, Angel, this is Gwyn. Our third and final band member, the best bass player ever, and one of the coolest people I know.”

“Gwyn’s family are the ones spotting me a place to stay,” Cor offered the statement as a reminder.

“Yeah, he’s cool like that.” Notably, that was not a pronoun Angel would have expected either of the boys to use for Gwyn - for all intents and purposes he looked like a girl with a bit of an androgynous lean.

“It wasn’t my decision,” Gwyn said, and then, catching Angel’s confusion: “Right. Pronouns. That’s always weird for new people. You can call me literally anything you want, I don’t care.”

“We switch around lots, at her request,” David said. “It drives teachers insane - to be honest it drives most people in the school insane that we actually respect their stuff, but that’s everybody else’s problem.”

“So,” Angel tried to clarify, “I can call you she, or he, or they?”

“Well, technically there are other options,” Gwyn acknowledged, “but for now, yeah. Go with that.”

“You’ll catch on eventually,” Cor said. “And it’s patient.”

“It?” Angel looked a little taken aback. “Is that… okay?”

“Yeah, that’s what I mean by other options. You can call me it, you can call me by the weirder stuff-”

“Weirder?”

“Like Cor said, you’ll get used to it. I literally looked up as many lists of potential pronouns as possible when I was first asking people to switch it up - there’s too many to list off. Even these two couldn’t memorize all of them, to be honest I’m not sure anybody could.” Gwyn shrugged. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. Call me what you’re comfortable with.”

“I will… try my best. To call you more than one.” Angel nodded, expression serious. “I’m not used to… that.”

“Her parents are like… mega rich. Religious private school rich - you said they were what, oil execs?”

“Jesus Christ,” David said. “Yeah, that’d do it.”

Angel nodded. “My dad is, yeah. My mom’s basically a trophy wife, but honestly I’m not convinced she’s not involved in some multi-level-marketing scheme or something.”

“If it helps, basically nobody in a Texas public school is gonna care too much about this stuff, so you’re already ahead on that?” Gwyn offered. “I’m surprised you’re not more turned off by it.”

“I don’t… want to be that kind of person.”

Cor, again, put a hand gently on her back, near the left shoulder. “Then you won’t be.”

David nodded. “Honestly, it’s pretty much that simple. If you try not to be an asshole, you’re already pretty good at not being an asshole. Most people like that don’t care, or actively enjoy being that way.”

“I’ve seen what people who enjoy acting like that are like,” Angel scowled. “One of my best friends in middle school came out as bi and I was kind of convinced they were going to burn her at the stake or something. They… sent her to what I kind of assumed was some sort of conversion therapy. I didn’t talk to her after that.”

“Fuck.” David said.

“Fuck about sums it up, yeah. It honestly seemed like the disappointment was less of a focus than the satisfaction of getting to show off that kind of power. It’s almost like its own ritual. If someone you know does something ‘wrong’, you get given extra credit for having the most brutal response possible.”

“There was a kid here last year who killed himself,” David said, “in the school bathroom. Because he was getting too much shit from people.”

“Fuck,” Angel said, because that really did sum that sort of thing up.

There was silence for a moment.

“Well, that was depressing,” Gwyn said. “I’m gonna grab something from the vending machine before we start the day. Anybody want anything?”

“I will pledge my undying affection to you if you bring me a bag of Doritos and a chocolate bar,” David responded, bowing his head in a dramatic show of faux respect.

“Sure, whatever. Cor, Angel? You guys want anything?”

“I said I was fine earlier,” Cor said, “but now that you mention it, bring me a Sprite or something.”

“Angel?” Gwyn looked at her. “Seriously, I don’t mind. If you want anything let me know.”

She thought for a moment, looking down at the desk. Someone had scratched two initials with a heart around them into the corner. The ultimate display of teenage affection - defacing school property.

“I wouldn’t mind a Sprite too,” she finally offered.

“Two Sprites, a bag of Doritos, a chocolate bar - do you have a fucking preference, David?”

“I dunno, like a fucking Snickers or something.”

“You’re not you when you’re hungry,” Gwyn teased.

“I am a dangerous person when I’m hungry, Gwyn, which is why you should go get me a fucking chocolate bar.”

“On my way,” it laughed, stepping cautiously over the still-disorganized rows of backpacks. “Back in a few. Save my seat.”

Day one could have started a lot worse, that was for sure.

[meadowmines]

OC-Tober/Tojoctober Day 18: Drink

[An evening at the Grand ft. Aoyagi, Chiba, and Shiori]

If he's being honest, Aoyagi preferred the atmosphere at Sunshine. It was smaller, and quieter, and cheaper. Still, he feels better knowing his money isn't going into that Kanzaki shitheel's pockets anymore.

"I mean," Shiori says, "we knew he was a turd after the whole feet pic bandit thing. You told us he was a turd."

"I did say that," Aoyagi says, wiping his chilly hands with a nice warm towel. "In so many words, even. So you're likin' it here a lot better?"

"Oh hell yes." She stops there, with that look on her face like there's more she wants to say, and then she sighs. "I feel so bad for Yuki-san, though. Of course she wanted to try and fix everything but... God, I'm being a downer. On the clock, even! Sorry, guys."

"Aw, don't sweat it." Chiba knocks back about half of whatever he's drinking and his gal (whose name Aoyagi can't recall at the moment and he's too embarrassed to ask) pours him another. "You can always come vent at us off the clock. Oh, speakin' of--" He waggles an eyebrow in Aoyagi's general direction. "Shiori-chan was just tellin' us all about the hot date she went on last week. That didn't work out. Maybe now's yer chance to--"

"Oh, leave him alone!" Shiori swats at him with a menu, but she's laughing and not in an on the clock way, so it's all good. "What can we get you to drink tonight, Amano-san?"

"Jack and Coke, hold the Jack," Aoyagi says. "And whatever you want." Chiba's eyes light up and Aoyagi cuts him off before he can even start. "Nobody's talkin' to you, I meant Shiori-chan." Chiba and his gal both laugh about that, because that's just how it is with this bunch.

"What if I want champagne?"

Aoyagi grins. "Did I stutter? And one of those fancy fruit platter thingies."

Shiori winds his arm into hers and plops her head on his shoulder. "See, this is why all the girls love you. You spend lots of money and you don't get drunk and obnoxious. Unlike some people at this table!"

"So whatcha been up to tonight, Amano?" Chiba says in a transparent-ass effort to deflect. "Ain't like ya to be runnin' all over town on a work night."

"Eh, this n' that," Aoyagi says. "Ojisan bought me out for the night, told me to go get a hooker or 'a Nintendo' or whatever, y'know, like he does."

"Like he does," Chiba echoes with a knowing nod. He swore up under the old man, after all, he ought to know.

"Checked out the competition," Aoyagi goes on, and Chiba's gal perks up.

"Oh yeah," she says, "Neko Lovely? I went in there last night! It's... okay. Pretty inside. Super expensive, though."

Aoyagi nods. Expensive, and all the food is shitty prepackaged snacks in overpriced vending machines, and the cats are all purebred and for sale, and--as the sobbing manager told him in confidence--the owner gives every appearance of being that Kanzaki shitheel's cat cafe counterpart. "Yeah, 'expensive's' just the tip of the iceberg," he says. "Made me mad enough to go lookin' for a fight. And then some jackass boosted my wallet--"

"What!?" Shiori exclaims. "You just ordered a fruit platter! And champagne!"

"I got it back!" Aoyagi rolls his eyes as the rest of the table busts out laughing. "Gawd! What do ya take me for!?"

"Hey," Chiba says, gesturing with his glass, "at least ya got yer fight."

"That wasn't a fight," Aoyagi snorts. "Dude went down off one hit. From me."

"Welp." Chiba empties his glass and does not quite slam it on the table. "There's always our civic duty. Think I saw a couple fun ones on the board earlier. How 'bout you, Shiori-chan? Wanna help us clean up some trouble later? Yer shift's just about up, right?"

"Oh, you bet!" Shiori beams. On the one hand, Aoyagi always feels weird about Shiori coming with them on stuff like this. On the other, she's a card-carrying Civic Association member, she can do her thing in perfect safety from the sidelines, and, well... there's a certain former purveyor of feet pix out there who's probably still checking under his bed for her every night. "My favorite customers on my last table of the night and mayhem after work. This is the life.*

"All right, then..." The waiter brings Aoyagi's Jackless Coke and fancy fruit platter and pops the champagne for whoever's going to drink it, and Aoyagi lifts his unleaded glass. "To mayhem."

[thedovahcat]

Gorillas Getting Judged

Tomorrow's my assessment and I am hella nervous but a little excited but also mostly nervous.

I think I'm as ready as I'll ever possibly be about it and I've been talking about it with my friends about the likelihood of x y z and what may possibly happen and all that

Wuff.. the sooner all this is over the better... even if this is something I've wanted to know about for a long time, it's still very like...anxiety-inducing.

It's just an interview. Not like it's a job or anything. I hope I get a result I'm happy with, some days I still feel like "yeah nothing is probably up with me maybe I did this for nothing" and others I'm very confident about I guess having some sort of disorder going on.

I'd really like a professionals opinion and that's coming up. The only thing I'm terrified of is being written off. But, this maybe won't be the case if I'm doing this independantly of insurance and general doctors and all that...

So...

We'll see!! If it's some INCONCLUSIVE type answer then frankly I don't know what I'll do. What can I do though? Can't keep running to multiple places, cuz then it'll feel like I'm just probing for someone to tell me what I want. And I don't want that, ironically speaking.

I’m still really upset and pissed off that my parents still don’t take things like this seriously, and honestly they may never. Which, is just something I’ll have to deal with. I can’t be open with this kind of stuff about them, can’t talk about it unless it’s only happening to someone else. Minority families are just like that, what can I say? There’s that stigma attached to it like so many other things and mental illness in the family?? Ohoho boy you best get prepared to be yelled at and told off that it’s all fake and nothing you feel is real. No support at all. I’ve talked about this kind of thing before though so, nothing new there. Dad’s still harping on and on about how I better hear the answer I want to hear and I better get my money’s worth because it’s such a rip off etc etc. Like... I’m getting this assessment done without being on a huge waiting list, without paying exorbitant fees- I’m really lucky I can afford something like this for myself to be honest. And I’m in a good position right now to be able to have an assessment done in the first place. So yeah...

Hhhh.. moving along...on top of that, I got all my new computer parts so I've been making a backup of my system but that's taking so long. I have effectively banished myself from computer games so I wish I woulda planned that a bit better. Oh well.. by the weekend I'll have jazzy new parts and a speedier computation machine so.. something to look forward to.

There’s not much else to be said in the meantime, at least until tomorrow perhaps. Hopefully my mind won’t be blown to smithereens and I’ll be feeling OK or better than that. Something positive. It’s been a real emotional and tense week (and it’s only going to be Wednesday). With all the college stuff mounting, I’m just... I’m tired. I want to relax, I want a break, I wanna do stuff I like doing and continue on like normal... But for now I can’t.

Gotta schedule Tato’s dental speaking of which... I’m a bit nervous about that but my mom’s already made an appointment for the other cat so I’m going to see how his appt turns out before taking Tato in for his teeth cleaning. The vet said they were really gnarly (which was surprisingly cuz the previous vet said nothing about this) so I hope it doesn’t come down to like.... a ton of extractions or whatever the case. I’d feel bad and so would my wallet, but hey, gotta do whatever is necessary to keep that boi healthy.

That’s it for now though...

Wish me...luck??? I guess? Thu..mbs up?

[melanieph321]

Facundo Pellistri - Strike Again Chapter 4

Enjoy!

Pellestri had no interest in mowing any more lawns that summer. He knew that forsure, when he found himself buried underneath the grass cutting beast, clueless on how to get it restarted.

"I wouldn't be poking my head under there if I were you." Gracie sat on the steps to her front porch, watching Pellistri pretend to know how to fix his broken lawn mower. Pretend, was to put it loosely. She probably figured out that he had no idea what he was doing when once the engine stopped running Pellestri had thrown a tantrum, cussing at the machine like a child before a broken vending machine.

"I just need some tools." He groaned. "Does your dad have a toolbox in the garage?"

She got him the tools, but the process of tinkering with the lawn mower's insides only left him with an oil stained t-shirt.

"Something is wrong with the cooling system and so the engine won't run. Will your dad let me leave it here whilst I go into town and get what I need to fix it."

"Yeah, sure. I'll go into my brother's room, see if there is a clean shirt you can borrow."

He was surprised by her hospitality. She was more reserved now than when he had first met her in her father's shop earlier that summer. But then again, it might have something to do with her knowledge of his dead dad. The funeral was weeks ago, but people around you often change when they think that something has changed you.

"Here, see if it fits." She tossed him the shirt.

Pellstri was afraid that she would bring him another brightly colored shirt, like the one she wore. But red wasn't too outstanding, red was a nice color to wear.

"Manchester United?" He turned the piece of fabric in his hands, spotting the logo.

"It's not mine, it's my brother's." She explained, as if he had accused her of rooting for the enemy.

"I like them too."

"I know." She muttered.

"You do?"

She nodded. "It was in the newspaper, wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"That some kids from our district were going to play football there, at that youth camp."

"Oh."

"You were one of them, right?"

Pellistri had almost forgotten about that. His parents had sent that article to all their friends and family back home. He had received so many calls from them, saying how proud they all were that he was going to play football for one of England's biggest clubs."

"But you didn't go?"

Pellistri looked up from his hands, feeling how the memories changed his mood. "Because of your dad right?"

Despite being more reserved around him, he recognized that same curiosity in her from when they had first met.

"The money that was supposed to pay for the camp, my mom and I…we had to use it for the funeral."

"Your dads funeral?"

"Who else's?" He wanted to bark back. He wasn't even sure why he was telling her these things, it was none of her business. It was none of anyone's business.

"Facundo I…"

"Why do you call me that? My name is Pellsitri."

"No it's not." She frowned.

"Everyone calls me Pellistri." Playing football all his life made the addressing of his first name sound unusual, almost unfamiliar, as if his first name didn't belong to him but an alternate version of him. "You'll sound like my mother if you call me by my first name."

"Oh." 

He chuckled. "You wouldn't want to sound like my mother do you?"

She smiled and shook her head. "No. No I wouldn't."

"Then don't call me Facundo." 

"Noted." 

He proceeded to remove his oil stained shirt, draping it up and over his head. He noticed how Gracie's eyes were transfixed somewhere below his chin. She returned to earth once the red shirt was on.

"I…I can give you a ride." She volunteered, dabbing the sweat off her upper lip.

"Into town?"

"Yes."

"That would be great, thanks."

It wasn't her father's BMW. She had her own car, a Nissan Micra. A clown car.

"What do you need in order to fix the lawn mower's cooling system?" She asked.

"I dunno?" Maybe it helps just to buy a new filter. Debris might have gotten into the lever. Worst case scenario is that I have to buy her a new fan."

"Her?" Gracie smiled, She kept her hands steady on the steering wheel and her eyes on the road. "The lawn mower is a she?"

Pellsitri felt heat rise to his face. But it was not not normal to give a vehicle a pronoun. His father had done it all his life.

"I know it's not really a she, but…" 

She glanced at him, curious to hear his explanation.

"Forget it, you wouldn't understand." Girls often didn't, he thought.

"Oh, I understand." She chuckled. "My mom used to get angry with my dad for doing it."

"For doing what?"

"Talking to his car more than he talked to her."

"I guess it's a universal guy thing then?"

"For sure." She nodded. "Girls don't like chatting up cars and lawn mowers, we rather meet men in pubs or in line to the bank."

Pellistri chuckled, in a way that should have left him feeling guilty. His mother hadn't laughed since his father died. Pellistri made a silent agreement not to laugh anymore either. He just broke that promise.

"So, where are we stopping?" 

Pellistri was pulled out of his mournful thoughts.

"Um…Burgins AC and refrigerators."

"Oh."

He didn't think she'd remember, unfortunately she seemed to have a great memory.

Stepping into the last place where his dad had been alive felt like stepping into a haunted house, where the ghost of his father could be roaming around the ventilation or something. Lawyers had advised that they sue the store for the damage they had cost his family. His mother however, couldn't find the strength to do so at the time, saying that the damage was already done, his father was gone and that was that. No money in the world would bring him back to them. 

Pellistri wouldn't mind if they had sued the store, they could have used the money, or he specifically, he could have used the money to pay for the fees to attend the Manchester United Youth Camp.

"And how can I help you two today?" 

A faithful employee was with them almost immediately after stepping foot in the store. 

"Um, I'm looking for a filter for the cooling system I have in my lawn mower."

"Oh. I'm sorry but we don't sell any lawn mowers here." She laughed nervously, as if Pellistri and Gracie weren't aware that they were surrounded by a dusin neatly arranged kitchen counters and stainless steel refrigerators.

"I am aware of that. It's just that the last time our lawn mower had this problem, my dad came here and bought the same filters you use in some of your smaller AC ventilators."

"Oh, okay. Let's see if we can pull out your dad's last order with us. Can I have his name?"

"Sebastian Pellsitri."

The lady stiffened, as if she had been hit with a tranquilizing arrow that park rangers use to sedate animals in the wild.

"You…you're his son, no?"

"Um…yeah. Why?"

"I'll see if I can find the manager for you." The lady turned her back on them, disappearing through the store.

Pellistri shrugged. "That was strange,"

"Maybe they don't sell it here." Gracie said. She looked eager to leave. Perhaps she felt it too, the presence of his father.

The lady that was supposed to help them returned with the store manager at her heels. He was a slim man, uptight and had ginger colored hair.

"Look. If you're here about the news article I'll tell you the same thing I told your mother…"

"My mother?" Pellistri frowned.

"Yes, she was here yesterday? Screaming about the fact that we let the press write about your father's incident?"

Pellsitri shook his head, he hadn't heard about anything of this from his mother. Although he wasn't sure that he had seen her yesterday. He and Drik Willy had been digging around the cemetery all day yesterday.

"Either way, we told her the same thing I'm telling you, the comments that were made in that article were either made by witnesses or the police, not me or any of my employees."

Pellisitri was unsure on how to respond. He looked to the lady that had greeted them earlier. "The filter for the cooler?" He asked.

She perked up, suddenly aware that she was still on the clock. "I'll look the order up right now." She disappeared behind the manager who still looked to want to defend his integrity to a visibly confused Pellistri. "That'll be 11.99. " She said upon her return, however, the manager stopped her from going behind the cash register.

"It's free of charge."

Pellistri stared at the man's outstretched hand. He wasn't sure as to why he felt this way, felt angry.

"Just take it." The manager said, as if it was more of a settlement than a gesture of his kindness. Regardless, Pellsitri accepted the item but only because he wanted to get away from the store, far from it really.

"Where are you going?"

He had Gracie at his heels, almost forgetting about her. He ignored her and continued down the street, to the nearest convenient store. There he bought the local newspaper, headline: "Local man crushed to death: Witnesses speak out."

"Wait!"

There was a tug at his sleeve, Gracie, with her hand around Pellstri's wrist. "I know somewhere we can go, somewhere you can read it, in peace."

He followed her, he followed her back to her father's shop. It was closed, but she had a key. Pellstri wanted to read the article alone and so she left him to it.

His eyes fixed on the newspaper clippings pasted on the worn-out bulletin board. His heart raced as he read the article describing how a massive 600-kilo fridge had fallen on his dad, ending his life in an instant. 

Embarrassment, anger, and worry surged through Pellistri. The article described his dad's accident as bizarre, exclamation point. More embarrassment, anger  washed over Pellistri. He felt his cheeks burn with shame as he pictured the elaborate funeral preparations that his mother had been organizing and the sympathy and condolences they had gotten from friends. This was what they were picturing. This is what went through their minds when they thought of his dad's last moments on earth, a bizarre accident.

Gracie stepped forward, her voice gentle. "Pellistri, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what you're going through right now."

Her words barely registered at first, until her hands gently cupped his face, forcing him to look into her eyes. 

"You're not alone, Pellistri," She said, her voice steady but filled with tenderness. "Your dad's accident was a fluke, a tragic event that couldn't have been predicted or prevented."

The weight of her touch broke through his emotional haze, and something shifted within Pellistri. He felt a warmth spreading through him, a sense of comfort and understanding that he couldn't quite explain. Gracie's eyes glistened with empathy, causing tears to stream down Pellistri's face, a mix of sorrow and gratitude.

Gracie offered a tender smile, her fingers still caressing his face. And in that tiny tailor shop, amidst the rolls of fabric and whirring sewing machines, Pellistri found solace. The weight of grief remained, but a newfound love and strength filled the space where emptiness once resided.